June 16th 2023.
On Thursday, Scott Walker, the 36-year-old man accused of vandalizing a Black Lives Matter mural in Hartford, Connecticut, appeared before a judge. Surveillance caught Walker in the act, drawing a swastika and other hate symbols over the mural down Trinity Street. Police apprehended Walker, who is now being held on a $150,000 bond.
The incident has left many black residents of Hartford feeling sadness and disappointment. Lashawn Robinson-Nuhu, who worked on the mural in 2020, expressed her heartbreak. “A lot of us were just heartbroken because, the community, we work together so much to try and make something positive.” In addition to the Nazi reference, Walker had drawn the numbers 88 and 14, known to be white supremacy codes.
Dr. Robert Sanders, an attorney and lecturer at the University of New Haven, said that acts like Walker’s are why the rallying call of the civil rights movement is so important. “We can’t have a nation going forward in that manner. The movement, not a moment, is to continue to oppose people who espouse that.”
Artists and community members replaced the hate speech with a heart, representing the true spirit of Hartford. Mayor Luke Bronin said, “It was a vile act of hate. It was an act intended to sow fear and division. But we’re not going to be divided or made afraid. Our Hartford, Connecticut community is united, diverse, loving, and strong.”
Governor Ned Lamont echoed Bronin’s sentiments in a statement to CT Insider. “These do not represent Connecticut values, and all of us as a community need to take a strong stance to denounce any messages advocating hate and white supremacy. We will not be threatened by the messages of anonymous people who attempt to divide us and instill fear. I appreciate the work by the Hartford Police to investigate this crime.”
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